Contemporary Maryland Colonial, Divided by Five

Feb. 20, 2014 7:27 p.m. ET

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Dan and Tanya Mathias are shown in their Annapolis, Md., home. The couple spent $1.8 million on the 5,700 square-foot house, including a pool and landscaping. The home has five sections that each have a distinct function.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

The home's five connected pavilions reflect the five-part houses frequently found in the colonial architecture of the region. 'We wanted a modern, minimalist farmhouse,' says Mr. Mathias, a 47-year-old fire-sprinkler contractor.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

This shows a hallway running alongside the kitchen and family room, toward the entry pavilion. The couple used a construction manager instead of a high-end, full-service builder, and Mr. Mathias himself drew many of the sketches for the plan, closely supervised the construction, and installed the fire sprinkler, alarm and entertainment systems, along with an 8,000 gallon rainwater cistern. He estimates that skipping a high-end contractor saved $600,000 in costs.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

The two had local designer David Mallon, of Studio 103 in Arnold, Md., design the house with them. When the foundation was poured, an architect with expertise in five-part houses, Annapolis-based Marta Hansen, finalized the design. Mrs. Mathias is the home's interior designer— she chose a color scheme of black, white and gray, with different bright accents for different rooms. The kitchen dining table is shown.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

The two-story Tulikivi fireplace was imported from Finland. The family lights it twice a day and uses the oven compartment to bake bread and pizza. It is among Mr. Mathias's favorite features in the house.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

Dan and Tanya Mathias are shown in their kitchen, which is in the center of the house.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

The Woods Room is shown: a sunken living room named for its view of the oak, beech and poplar trees. The dividing mullions on the floor-to-ceiling windows are barely-there aluminum-covered wood beams. The fireplace is wood-burning and very efficient. It can burn for up to 16 hours on one load of wood.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

This is another view of the Woods Room.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

Here is the bedroom of their son, Marek, 17 months.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

The final building, across the courtyard from the kitchen, is a garage, with red-painted hinges and speakers that allow Mr. Mathias to play music while working on his classic cars.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…

The pavilions are tied together by a consistent use of materials: oak for the hardwood floors in the living areas and slate for the floors in the hyphen spaces. All connect the inside of the house to the outdoors. In one hyphen, whitewall siding continues on the outside of the house, visible through a glass wall, creating the impression of a single space.
Stephen Voss for The Wall Street Journal…